Gary plays a 12-string Sierra guitar in B6 Universal tuning and uses it much as a lead guitarist would while backing himself singing his original songs. He's a great player and totally unique in his playing style, which is an effective accompaniment to his evocative singing and lyrics.
I've listened to two complete sets of his music the last couple of weeks and only heard a tune or two that had the remotist connection to anything country or Nashville-based. He uses stomp boxes and the Ebow to great effect, again much like a lead guitarist. His stage presence/persona is ultra-hip, erudite, and comedic in his between-song patter and introductions to the material.
What I'm being overly verbose in saying is that he shows me the steel guitar, in the right hands, can be as intriguing and entertaining as any form of guitar in the world of pop rock. Kudos to you, Gary!
BTW, Gary's trio has been playing the past couple of weeks at Skinny's Ballroom in beautiful downtown Austin Texas, sharing the bill with Bob Hoffnar's jazz steel quartet and Rose Sinclair's Swing Band during Steel Guitar Tuesday. Thanks to Brad at Skinny's for having the cojones to feature the steel guitar regularly in various musical formats on that night.
